Worth Burning For
by Sinibin
Summary: Arthur was Merlin's destiny. He was the one man meant to rule the Kingdom of Albion, and succeed while doing so. Merlin is his protector. However, when Arthur finds out about Merlin's secret, will he show him the same mercy Merlin showed his father?
1. Chapter 1

The hushed whispers among the multitude of people grow silent as the current King of Camelot and his son, the Once and Future King, approach the front of the ornamented balcony.

There weren't as many people as usual, today.

The crowd all gathered around the wet ground. It had just been raining.

As the sky cleared up, the King ordered freshly chopped wood to be placed at the bottom of the pyre, so that no amount of water could put a stop to this execution.

King Uther moves forward, and stands with his hands resting on the wooden railing, looking down upon all those who respect and revere him.

He regards them with an aura of a victor of war, about to claim his prize, and bring about its _honoured death_.

"Citizens of Camelot, I stand before you to pass judgement on the wicked and the sinful. I have long since been leading this war on magic, and since the foundation of the laws against sorcery, this kingdom has flourished and become the greatest demesne in all of Albion!"

Here he stopped his speech, and lifted his arms up to the level of his shoulders, using them to encompass all of his followers.

A great cheer broke out among the people, and people roared and applauded their King.

He smiled, and he lowered his arms, palms facing down, to hush the masses.

"I have once again seen the evils of magic, and it has once again been made clear to me that those who practice magic are wicked. I will once again purge this great city from a magical threat. You will all be safe, and we will once again continue to flourish."

The crowd cheered louder than before, people stomping their feet on muddy ground, clapping, howling and whistling.

Uther smiles, and knows that he is, once again, a hero in his people's eyes.

He looks to the knights standing guard to the exit of the dungeons, and addresses them loud enough for all to hear.

Three words. That was all that was needed to seal one's fate in this land. Three words to destroy one's destiny.

"Bring the sorcerer".

The crowd grew silent, as they all turned to watch the rusty metal gates part from the centre, allowing the knights to go through to the dungeons.

The people were patient, some watched with smiles on their faces, some apprehensive, and some were distressed.

But that didn't matter, for in the eyes of the king, no-one is innocent.

Seconds later, the guards emerged, tediously pulling a young man who was barely holding himself up on his own.

His feet, which were covered by dusty, moth eaten, brown boots, dragged along the sodden ground, barely making any footsteps at all.

His brown pants were tucked into them, dirt and stains covered them, a clear sign of what spending a night in the dungeons does to a peasant.

His blue shirt, covered by his brown jacket, was much in the same state.

The clothing he wore was incredibly loose on his body, being as tall and thin as he was.

The most obvious thing on his body, however, was the red neckerchief tied around his neck.

The chains around his arms and legs clinked as he moved, and his dull, lifeless hair fell over his eyes.

He kept his head down as he approached the pyre, the knights moving him none-too-gently up onto the wooden stage.

He was barely conscious, and didn't bother fighting against the knights as they chained him against the wooden pole.

He kept his head down low, and avoided any eye contact with anyone in the area.

Only after he had been chained up, and the wood placed around the base of the pyre did he look up, but not into the face of the one who condemned him today.

He looked up into the pale azure eyes of the Prince of Camelot, the one who condemned him yesterday.

He had bartered his life again, showing magic in front of the Prince when he thought him unconscious.

However, luck was not to be on his side.

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><p><em>Arthur charged forward, four knights flanking both his right and his left in battle formation.<em>

_He raised his sword, and aimed for a deadly blow to the creature's heart._

_Although, as luck would have it, he was not to be taking the life of this magical beast today._

_The creature reared its head, raising its front feet off of the ground, faced the small battalion, and rained poison onto the unsuspecting knights. _

_The men scattered and fell like dandelion florets once blown, and lay upon the ground._

_Merlin, who had been tending to the horses, arrived shortly after. _

_He took one look at the beast, and then the men of Camelot lying upon the ground, and came upon the correct conclusion; this beast injured the Once and Future King._

_The only things going through his head at the time were 'protect', 'kill', 'Arthur', and 'destiny'._

_He gave no thought to the fact that, although the knights may appear motionless, they may very well be conscious, yet simply paralysed._

_He ran into the clearing, and stood in front of the Prince and his knights; a barrier._

_He is the shield, the protector. It is his job to ensure that the Prince of Camelot one day becomes the greatest King that Albion has ever, and would ever, see._

_He raises his arm above his head, and aligns it directly with the chest of the creature._

_The only conscious though going through his head at the moment is that Prince Arthur may be dead, and this creature must die._

_He doesn't even think. His mouth forms no words. He just screams._

_He screams so loudly, that he has no doubt the Great Dragon, wherever he may be, can hear it even without the connection of the DragonLords._

_He pours all of his anger, his misery, his hurt into this cry, and roars, pure and unsullied magic pours out of his fingertips at an alarming rate._

_This shoots out of his hand, and into the belly of the beast, killing it instantly._

_The magic surrounds it, creating an almost impossible light, and then disperses. The magic is no more._

_Merlin lowers his trembling arm slowly, placing it by his side._

_It is only then that he remembers why he is here. He turns slowly to see if Arthur is alright, only to stop dead in his tracks when he sees the brightest shade of blue staring right back at his, the shock and disappointment clear on his face._

_It is obvious, according to his own Father's ruling, what needs to be done to this sorcerer._

_Sorcerer._

_Merlin. Is. A. Sorcerer._

_He. Is. Evil._

_This is all that is running through his head as he drags the strangely subdued warlock through the front gates of Camelot._

_Restrained in chains._

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><p>His gaze locks onto that of Prince Arthur's, and he stares defiantly into the face of the man he once considered his master, his best friend, his brother, his <em>destiny<em>.

He sees so many emotions in his eyes, yet his face remains impassive, as is right of a Prince.

He sees betrayal, stemmed from the fact that Merlin has lied to him _all this time_.

He sees anger. _How could Merlin become something so evil?_

He sees regret. _How could I let my best friend die?_

But then, just as quickly, he sees determination take its place. _Merlinisasorcerer. Merlinisevil. Merlinmustdie._

He sees confusion, and instead of thinking of the reasons behind this, the Prince himself voices his question.

"Traitor, you stand accused of the crime of magic."

The crowd gasps silently. They have never heard the crowned prince speak at an execution. To do this something must really be wrong.

And yet, the prince continues, oblivious to the turmoil of the crowd. "All I ask is, why stay here? If you are a powerful warlock, and I have seen, why stay in Camelot where your kind is executed? Why did you never tell me? You kept this too yourself for many a year. Why protect me and my knights? What have we done to deserve your help?"

He looks down at Merlin, a daring challenge in his eyes. He doesn't know why Merlin has done what he has; he has only accusations, fruitless assumptions. He can only madly grasp at straws and hope that one of these so called straws is the right reason.

Merlin stares at him, defiance, and acceptance, in his eyes.

"My Prince," he starts, earning shocked whispers from the crowd, and a narrowing of eyes from the entire royal family. "I did not tell you because as you so kindly put it, "My kind is executed in Camelot"."

He stated this without batting an eyelash, challenge evidence in his stance, and even with his limbs restrained; Uther began to feel fear and dread.

This child. No. This _man_ was capable of far more than he let on. He was fearsome as a king, and this man was fearsome as a being of magic.

Uther was scared. For the first time since facing the Great Dragon, he was scared.

He gestured to the knights to light the pyre, before this creature of magic before him brought about his downfall.

This _man_ continued, as though nothing was happening.

"I have stayed in Camelot to ensure that your destiny will be fulfilled. You will become the greatest king that Camelot will ever see. You will unite every kingdom under one banner, and you will become the leader of all Alboin," Merlin does not raise his voice much louder than a whisper, yet the crowd is so silent that, even King Uther in the shadows of the balcony can hear every word. The determination in his voice shows that he not only accepts what he is saying, he truly believes every word spoken.

"I have stayed by your side for so long because it is my destiny to help you become this king. I will protect you with everything that I am. "

He said this even with flames licking at his feet, and he didn't move a muscle. The immense heat from his surroundings created beads of sweat on his forehead, yet he remained unconcerned.

"I am Emrys, the one man with the power to have people bow at my feet, no matter how strong they are, and yet I have remained your servant for years. If this does not tell you of exactly how good I am, considering how much of a prat you are, then I suggest you seek medical attention." Merlin finished this with a bit of his old cheekiness, and his amusement showed on his face. He was allowing some of his former self to shine through.

Arthur, though, was struggling to keep up the pretence of _sorcerer is evil, royal family must kill_. He didn't ever truly believe that Merlin was ever anything except good, but he couldn't betray his father. He couldn't.

The flames were incredibly high now, the heat reaching up to the balcony. Arthur stepped back away from the searing heat, and was surprised that Merlin could keep up this act of not feeling anything.

What he didn't know, however, was why Merlin was still here, why had he not escaped?" So he voices his question, and he was surprised by his answer.

Merlin's quietly subdued voice answered him.

"Arthur, you will be a great king one day, and because of the kindness and courage you have shown me throughout the years, I have sworn to be eternally loyal to you. You are my master, and although I had hoped when you discovered my secret that it would not come to this, your loyalty to your kingdom comes first. I will do whatever you wish, and have always done so in the past. You sentenced me to death, therefore, I shall die."

He said this slightly louder than before. The flames were now above his chest, almost to his face, and they were roaring with such intensity that he had to raise his voice to be heard above them.

Arthur, perplexed, guilt ridden, dejected and disheartened, looked down at Merlin once more.

"But I still don't understand, why stay with me when you knew you would die when I found out? Why protect me? Why become the greatest friend I would ever have?"

Merlin smiled at this, a true, honest smile, as he looked at Arthur.

"Because," he starts, with a single tear threatening to spill over his eyes, "you're worth burning for".

And with a roar from Merlin, the flames increase to an amazing intensity, killing him quickly.

It is not that he feared pain, but that he didn't want to see it reflected in Prince Arthur's eyes.

* * *

><p>Moments before his death, he remembers words from the mouth of the Great Dragon, and thinks that there is no more appropriate scenario to fit in with that line that this.<p>

_"I always said that he was your destiny Merlin. He was the one you would protect, and he is the man who will become the King of all Albion. He is your destiny. However, I have never once said that you, were his."_

* * *

><p>So what do you people think? Should I write another chapter where Arthur goes to ask Gauis about Merlin and learns all about what he's done for him? :)<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

It was with a heavy heart that one Arthur Pendragon stalked the corridors of Camelot with the aim to reach the lodgings of a certain Court Physician.

He trod along the stone floors, boots slapping along the paved pathways and eyes downcast, avoiding the sorrow seeming to emanate off of those around him.

Ever since the death of Merlin, the traitorous sorcerer, the castle had become desolate.

None of the servants even spoke among themselves anymore, keeping their heads low, and only responding in monosyllabic, monotonous words, preferring to abstain from any sort of human contact at all.

The knights, whenever they were training with the prince, preferred not to outright acknowledge his presence, however this habit became void in presence of orders.

These knights of Camelot followed the orders of Prince Arthur, but not with the enthusiasm that they once would have.

The commoners of Camelot would speak in hushed whispers amongst themselves, restraining from voicing any sort of conversation in the presence of Camelot's nobility, choosing instead to keep their words, opinions and _pain_,to themselves.

When Merlin was publically executed by the burning of the stake, something in all of Camelot's people _died_. It is almost as if the people themselves were afraid of living in happiness without him, or perhaps, they could not.

Merlin was the light in the darkness, the hope of a kingdom ruled by bigots, and the smile upon the faces of those thought non-existent.

As Merlin burned out, so did something in the hearts of the people.

It was as if all of the happiness in the kingdom was suffocated, placed under a large blanket and smothered, its life being snuffed out.

Not only that, but it seems the support and respect of the King's followers seemed to be decreasing. There were no outright rebellions, no one telling the King exactly what they thought of him, but the lack of respect, and of trust, was there.

Arthur, himself, seemed to be thinking and acting the same way. The death of Merlin hit him hardest of all.

It took him days, weeks even, to try and understand why he was so affected by the loss of a _traitor._

Merlin was evil. Magic was evil. Merlin _hadtodie._

They was no other was to ensure the safety of the kingdom. Even if he believed that Merlin was good, he possessed magic. This made him evil by association, didn't it? Merlin used magic, magic was evil, Merlin had to burn. This mantra played itself through Arthur's mind for days now, non-stop, ever since he first witnessed the flash of gold in Merlin's eyes.

As he trudged slowly, sluggishly, through the halls of the castle, he remembered Merlin talking about a destiny so great that it would cause the entire world to stand up and take notice, and that it surrounded the both of them.

He remembers hearing of the great Emrys, whispers amongst the druids, of how this fabled and wise warlock would rid the world of evil, and how he would help the Once and Future King unite the world of Albion, bringing peace and prosperity to the land. He'd heard whispers as he staked out the camps of the druids, the elders of the camp whispering these prophecies to children around the campfires keeping them warm, and bathed in light.

He had always thought that these were children's tales, designed to keep away the monsters in the night, the so called "creatures under the bed", if you will. But he had heard Merlin mention it in his dying words. Didn't that mean something? Could this children's fable possibly have something to do with reality now? Would Albion ever be united? And if so, who was Emrys, really, and who was the Once and Future King? Merlin had mentioned that Arthur himself would be the man to unite this 'Albion' under one banner, but was that really possible? Considering the treaties he knew his father had established, and the many more wars he had waged, he didn't think it was, especially not for him. But it was nice to dream.

However, if Merlin really was this Emrys character, he had the power to make Arthur kneel at his feet, bow at his command, and fulfil every whim he desired, and yet he stayed as a servant to the Prince of Camelot. This must say something about loyalty, surely?

Or maybe he was just biding his time, waiting for the right moment to strike, so that he could make the death of Arthur Pendragon look like an accident?

But that doesn't make sense; Merlin could have easily poisoned his wine, or his food, and blamed it on the kitchen staff, or an assassin. It would have been believed easily, and if Merlin was truly that powerful, which he believed he was, after witnessing the death of that foul creature, he could have escaped Camelot far before anyone had even realised the death of the Prince.

Merlin was the most loyal friend he had ever had. Merlin was the _only_ friend he had ever had, yet even he knew that the loyalty that Merlin possessed towards him was unfathomable. He went beyond the line of duty, and beyond that of even the most loyal of knights, to ensure the safety of Arthur, and his happiness.

Even though he was the most insubordinate servant in all of Camelot's walls, even though he insulted the Crowned Prince every hour of every day, and even though he ought to be in the stocks more often than not, he always made a smile come upon the Prince's face.

Arthur knew that Merlin was a kind and gentle soul, and that he would never hurt anyone willingly, and yet he had magic.

The turmoil running through his mind was giving him the biggest migraine, and there really was only one thing he could do; speak to Gaius.

Gaius knew Merlin better than anyone, a position he thought _he _held until recently, and he would have known from the very beginning that Merlin had magic.

So he set his resolve, and climbed the staircase the quarters of the Court Physician.

Knocking twice, he waited for the curt, "Enter" to reach his ears, before pushing sternly on the solid door to permit his arrival.

Gaius looked up from his work, with a blank look upon seeing Arthur there. Neither said anything for moments, as if this were a standoff and they were simply waiting for one to draw their weapon, whereupon Gaius lifted the infamous eyebrow, Arthur coughed, and graced Gaius with the only smile he had given since the burning of his greatest friend.

And when he had sat upon one of the rickety wooden stools in Gaius' study, calmly announced, "Gaius, I need you to tell me about Merlin. Everything." And in the quietest whisper, he followed up his request with a soft, yet pain-filled, "_Please"_.

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><p>So, can you guys review and let me know if this should finish as is? Should I leave it as complete? :) Cheers.<p> 


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